The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-12-10
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING.
A Newspaper Correspondent Goes Off
at Half Cock.

SOS1As
NEW York, Dec. 9.-The World corre-
spondent at Halifax sent the following to
that paper last night: "Intense excitement
prevails among imperial military officers to-
night over what appears to be a deliberate
attempt to blow up the gun cotton tank at
Georges Island Double guards are patrol
ing the Notifications and orders have been
given to watch the wharves for men at
tempting to land, and to search all YES els
in the harbor 1t has been showing all
night so that it is impossible to see more
than few yards ahead. In the centre of
Halifax harbor stands Georges Island. 1t
is one of the most strongly fortified places
in the world.
COMMANDS CITY AND HARBoR.
"lt commands the city and sweeps the
entrance to the harbor and its northwest
arm. 1t is sure destruction to any war
ship attempting to enter Halifax, being
armed with so and 100-ton guns, and upon
it is stored the largest portion of the enor-
nous supplies of torpedoeS, gun cotton,
powder, shells and other munitions of war
of which Halifax is the depot for North
America The island is about an acre in ex-
tent. On its northeast shore is sunk a large
tank in which several tons of gun cotton
are stored, enough to blow all Halifax to
pieces No one is allowed upon or in the
vicinity of the island upon any pretense ex-
cept when on duty.
THREE MEN DISCOVERED.
''In the midst of snow storm at 10
o'clock tonight the daughter of the Sergeant
in charge thought she heard men talking
She went to the door of her quarters, and
standing upon the gun cotton tank, she
heard three men talking. She called to
them, but they took no notice of her. Then
caJ oil
called out and rushed towards the tank.
The soldiers were some little distance away,
and hearing them coming, two of the men
jumped into a boat, whereupon a third
shouted OUT
Don't leave me in the lurch after doing
your dirty work
ALL ESCAPE.
''He made a spring for the boat, got in,
and the boat got several yards from shore
before the soldiers reached the tank. A mo-
ment Later the boat was hidden by the fall
ing snow The soldiers, being reused out of
bed did not have their rifles with them and,
consequently could not capture the intrud
ers. An alarm was Immediately raised. and
information conveyed to Gen Lord Alex
ander Russell and staff Gen. Russell cr-
dered all the wharves to be guarded, all
vessels searched, and double guards on duty
to patrol the island all night. A special
Ruufu was also SUdJlOHtu dU Clle gun COJUOu
tank.
THE SUPPOSED OBJECT.
"It is believed that the object Of the men
was to bore an augur hole through the
cover and attach a fuse. If this had been
accomplished, not only George Island, with
its magnificent Notifications, but all the
ships in the barbor and two-thirds of Hall
fax harbor, must have been destroyed. 1t
would have been the most tremendous and
terrible explosion of modern times, while
the loss of life would have been appalling"
FALSE REPORT.
HALIFAX, N. s., Dec. 9.-The military
authorities here say that the story circu-
lated here last night of an attempt to ex-
p!ode the gun cotton tank at Georges Island
was hoax. 1t is said that two men in
boat in the harbor last night during thick
snow storm, who probably got out of their
course, ran close to Georges Island and
were hailed by the sentry and warned to
keep off This has probably given rise to
the report that an attempt had been made
to explode the gun cotton tank.